Projectile



V(No Model.)

L. GATHMANN.

PROJEGTILE.

Patented Deo. 26, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENTN OFFICE.

A LOUIS GA'II'IMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,418, dated December26, 1893.

Application tiled April 19, 1892. Serial No. 429,810. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, LOUIS GATHMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Project-iles; and I dohereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a novel construction in a projectile, andrelates more particularly to a projectile adapted to be charged with ahigh explosive, oil, doc., the object being to provide such a projectilethat can be fired with great accuracy.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafterfully described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention,-Figure lis aside elevation of a projectile constructed in accordance with `myinvention in place in a gun, which latter is shown partly in section andin side elevation. Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal sectional view ofsaid projectile. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a central, longitudinal section cf a modified form ofconstruction embodying my invention.

Referring to said drawings, A indicates as a whole the projectile,consisting of two hollow sections 1 and 2, the front section 1 tocontain the explosive charge, and the rear section 2 to contain a chargeof rocket powder or the like to give an additional impetus to theprojectile after being fired from the gun. The two sections l and 2 areseparable and are joined by a coupling piece 3 having au opening orperforation 4 therethrough so that the explosive charge in the frontsection 1 can be ignited from said rear section 2. By making suchsections of the projectile separable, it will be noted that the frontsection can be illed with some explosive, such, for instance as wet guncotton, so that the high explosive charge can be kept separate from therest of the projectile and thus reduce the danger from accidentalexplosion or from fire, which is especially desirable in carrying suchcharges in vessels. The rear section 2 with its charges can be keptseparate, and when it is desired to use a projectile, the front end ofthe coupling 3 can be screwed into the en d of section 1, and beforedoing so, the cup 5 in the end of such coupling can be illed with drygun cotton, so that it will be readily exploded and thus explode thelarge charge in the front section 1.

In a projectile of this kind it is of course obvious that there is aliability that during its flight the projectile will turn over and thusspoil the aim, and to prevent such a l'esult, I have provided means forimparting a rotation to the same and for maintaining such rotationduring its Hight. To this end a series of spirally arranged ribs orBauges 6 are located within the rear end portion of the rear section 2,and it will be noted that the force ot the burning charge, within saidrear section against such ribs or flanges, and also the twisting motiongiven to the charge as it emerges from the end of such section willserve to impart such rotation to the projectile and maintain thesameduring its flight. Various charges could be used within the rearsection, but rocket powder is, as far as I am informed, preferable, andis packed under pressure therein in av familiar manner, and isconveniently ignited by the burning of the charge from the gun fromwhich the project ile is fired bya fuse, or through an opening 7 in aplug 8 located within the rear end of the said section 2, whereupon saidcharge in said rear section will force the plug from the end of thesection. It is ,of course understood that a projectile of this kind canbe fired from a smooth bore or a ritled gun, but Ihave arranged the plug8 a little distance in from the end of the section, so that theexplosive charge of the gun will force the shell of the section 2 intothe rie grooves of a gun, when the projectile is fired from such a gun,to thereby give the initial rotation to the projection.

To further increase the rotation given to the projectile, the endportion thereot` may be provided with spiral wings 9 which will serve tocause the rotation of the same in an obvious manner.

As a further and separate improvement in projectiles, I make the frontsection 1 of greater diameter than the rear section 2, and am thusenabled to fire a large amount of explosive IOC ' which it strikes.

portion.

` spirally arranged wings.

takes place nearer the object, as

that will have a maximum destructive effect upon the object againstwhich it is exploded. By this construction it will be further noted thatthe explosive charge carried in the enlarged end of a projectile ofcomparatively small caliber will be rendered much more destructive thanif it was confined with the shell o f such caliber, because theexplosion the explosive, being contained in a shell-of large diameter,is therefore nearer the object against And further, projectiles of agiven caliber can carry a greater amount of explosive, and yet bepropelled to 'the same extent by reason of the auxiliary propellingcharge.

I do not, in this application, claim certain features shown herein, butwhich are claimed in another application tiled by myself in the UnitedStates Patent Olice April 19, 1892, Serial No. 429,809.

I claim as my invention- 1. A projectile having a hollow rear endportion to receive a propelling charge, and a series of interiorspirally arranged ribs or flanges located Within said hollow rear end 2.A projectile having a hollow rear end portion to receive a propellingcharge, a series of interior spirally arranged ribs or flanges, and aperforated plug located within the rear end portion of said projectileand inward of its rear end.

3. A projectile having a rear section 2 adapted to enter and tit withinthe bore of a gun or ordnance piece. and an enlarged front section lprovided with a series of exterior 4. A projectile having a rearsectionadapted to enter and tit within the bore of a gun or ordnance piece, andan enlarged hollow front section 1 provided with a series of exteriorspirally arranged wings.

5. A projectile having a hollow rear section 2, adapted to enter and twithin the bore of a gun or ordnance piece and to contain apropellingcharge and an enlarged hollow front section 1 to contain au explosivecharge to be ignited by said propelling charge.

6. A projectile having a hollow rear section 2 adapted to enter and titwithin the bore of a. gun or ordnance piece and to contain a propellingcharge, an enlarged hollow'front section 1 adapted to contain anexplosive charge, and a perforated partition separating said front andrear sections.

7. A projectile havinga hollow rear section 2 adapted to enter and lit.within the bore of a gun or ordnance piece end to contain a propellingcharge, an enlarged hollow front section 1 adapted to contain anexplosive charge to he ignited by said propelling charge, and a seriesof spirally arranged wings upon said enlarged front section 1.

8. A projectile having a hollow rear end portion to receive a propellingcharge, a series of interior spirally arranged ribs or flanges locatedwithin said hollow rear end portion, and a series of exterior spirallyarranged wings on the front end portion of said projectile.

9. A projectile having a hollow rear section 2 adapted to enter and fitwithin the bore of a gun or ordnance piece and to contain a propellingcharge, a series of interior spirally arranged ribs or dangeslocatedwithin said hollow rear end portion, an enlarged hollow front. section 1adapted to contain an explosive charge to be ignited by said propellingcharge, and a series of spirall'y arranged wings upon said enlargedfront section Y In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence oftwov witnesses.

LoUIs GATHMANN.

Witnesses:

' HARRY CoBB- KENNEDY,

RUDOLPH W. Louez.

